The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-09-01
INDIANS AND BEARS.

Wind River mountains, Wyoming, near
she headwaters of Green river, before
got an Indian alarm. I had come up from
Fort Bridger with q pack mule and plenty
Of traps and provisions, and by travelling
mostly at night and taking every pains to
hide my trail had escaped the attention
If the redskins. Having gained the upper
end of the valley, found safe spot for
;he mule and plenty Of game for my traps.
For the first two weeks 1 did not discharge
my rifle once, l was trapping for fur, and
what fresh meat needed / killed with the
bow and arrow. In twenty-five days
had q mule load of furs. had but to set
my traps and wait a little. 1t must have
been years since any one had hunted or
trapped in that valley, for the hares would
scarcely run away, and on three or four
occasions black tailed deer stopped at half
pistol shot and gazed at me as if they had
never seen human being before.
The discovery which so vexed and
alarmed me was made early in the morn
ing. had my camp close in to the base
Of the mountains on the east side Of the
valley, while the mule was hidden on the
west side, about opposite. had inclosed
him in about half an acre of ground, on
hlSh O1lSiO wac @ oP1A ny up
light brush fence and by hoppling him,
and it had been my custom to visit him ut
least every other day. My furs were
stored in cave forty rods above my camp
as fast as accumulated, and I had neg
iected no precaution which experience
could suggest Each morning it was my
custom to climb to q ledge of rocks over
hanging my camp and take careful sur
vey of the valley through o field glass
which had carried for years. On this
occasion had scarcely turned the glass
down the valley when discovered three
Indians, each mounted, and pack horse
following. They were not in war dress,
but three bucks who had come into the
valley on the same errand as myself
l was boiling mad over the advent of
my visitors. All my luck was gone in a
moment, and might consider it great
stroke of fortune if I got out alive, and
left them my mule and furs. The fellows
were ten miles away when first sighted
them, and had a little time to reflect on
my course. They would certainly come
up the valley as high as my camp, and it
was certain that l would have to move,
The idea of giving up all / had gained and
sneaking off empty handed was too repug-
rant to be acted on, and after had spent
ten minutes watching the trio descended
the ledge with firm determination not
to leave the valley. I had not yet lighted
fire to prepare my breakfast. I gathered
up all the brands, covered the ashes with
leaves and dirt, and worked for quarter
of an hour to obliterate all signs of the
camp My furs in the cave must take
their chances, 1t was q well hidden spot,
and the Indians might or might not dis
cover it. My destination was a gulch or
canyon, a mile further up the valley, and
on my side of it. / had twice passed the
entrance, but had never explored the
gulch. 1t doubtless contained some hid
ing place or point of advantage, and
would be forced to seek shelter until I
knew what the Indians purposed doing.
The redskins were coming up the val
ley at slow pace, and had entered the
gulch half an hour before they were op-
posite my camp. Standing at the mouth
of the gulch could see them very plainly.
From their movements judged they had
never been in the valley before, or at least
not as high up. While they were not
looking for signs of white men, and had
no suspicious of my presence, their hawk
eyes soon made discovery. They ran on
to a footprint, an overturned stone, or
some other proof of the presence of hui
man being, and a moment later they
swerved across the valley and entered the
very thicket where my mule was con-
cealed. was in for it now. The dis
covery of the mule would put them on to
me, and the three hunters after game
would become three warriors after my
scalp. I instantly abandoned all hope of
saving any of my property and started of
%Io 1o1, fr,y lr11,
the range.
1t was rough, dark place 1 had got
into. In no place was the rift over ten
feet wide, while it narrowed here and
there to four or five. Its sides were al
most perpendicular, and / had not gone
over 800 feet before came to the end. 1t
was what is known as ga false canyon -
extending only little way into the noun
tain instead of cutting through 1t. In the
twilight which prevailed down there ]
ran plump up against mass of rock in
the path, and when had burned match
or two fully realized the situation. /
was in trap. 1t was not likely that the
Indians yet knew Of my location. They
knew that one or more white men were in
the valley, but could not tell just where.
1t was morning, you remember, and
before night came they would know all
about it. They would creep and dodge
and reconnoiter, and before noon they
would be certain that they had only one
man to deal with. Any attempt to leave
by way Of the valley would be check
mated, and could not get out at the up
per end without going over the wild and
rugged mountains. I should, however,
have returned to the mouth Of the gulch
to try some other way, but while I was
burning last match heard great clat,
ter on the rocky bed of the rift few
yards off. Believing the Indians to Id
coming, I looked swiftly around for some
place of concealment or advantage, and tc
my right saw hole in the rocks. j.
three jumps was at the spot, and ten
seconds later had crawled into the hole
on hands and knees. The minute / got
my nose inside / smelt bear. Indeed, the
odor was strong enough to stifle me.
knew also that had entered den or
cave of considerable extent, and / hastily
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